The issue of the Koidu Holdings and the Affected Property Owners Associations

Hurrarc — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:49:38 +0000

The issue of the Koidu Holdings and the Affected Property Owners Associations, (A.P.O.A), is still an issue that need that needs to be revisited again because, there is still injustice and the ongoing human rights violations and abuses that has been going on in Kono, since the days of the past government, and that of the present, commencing with the demonstration that was led by the long bench youths and the A.P.O.A. members on the 13th December, 2007.
The current government of President Ernest Bai Koroma has shown up a great shortcoming, and the lack of honesty in the way they have so far handled the affairs of the Koidu Holdings to even meet to the demands or the recommendations that were made in the Jenkins Johnsons’ Commission.
The compensations for the people had been meddled with by the current government, their Minister of Natural Resources, the Cimatt Company that was given the mandate to construct the resettlement of the people, the paramnount chief, Paul Gabba Sahr Quee, and the mines director, Mr Jonathan Siaka, whose drunken voices could be heard in defense for the interest of the mining company and the free style decision, to delay the small payment for the peoples’ destroyed crops, as the later compensation for their property in three faces, that is, from january to march and july 2009.
Before the recommencement of the Koidu Holding mining activities in october 2008, prospecting machines were sent in the very poor and abjective resettlement at Kannia, in the eastern part of Tankoor Chiefdom, Kono District, to do prospecting for more kinbalite concessional areas to be extended. The prospecting machine was placed behind their dejectable houses or windows without remorse over the disturbing humming sounds and vibrations that was enough to keep one out from sleeping, no matter how tired one might be.
One of the then worker by the name of mr. Bah was dismissed from the company as a worker, for removing the prospecting machine from his door step. Up to october, 2008, his benefit was not payed to him as to be. With such a disregard to the rights of the people affected, the government seems to be much complascent with the reports that the said mines directors and monitoring officers in Kono had been filing in, from time to tiime, without any form of independent evaluations.
The levels of the abuses has sustained an upsurge in increase because, the 2008 has folded up without the recommendations of the government been achieved. But to the worst, it has been increased by the hosting of the african mining company on the Kono kimberlite exploitations without an incling of information about why, and how it was concluded by the chiefs and the parliamentarians, who are totally loyal to the parties than an atom of it to the people who voted them into the representation of their interests and opinions.
The people had been nudged out of their due rights to make decisions and to direct their destiny or god- given resources because of promises made by the companies to the benefit of their own selfish selves than the general selves of the masses.
The african mining is thus given the monopoly and the continuity because, they had once used four billions of leones to renovate the much fairy kabassa lodge, (presidential residence) that is always in the list of all the past and present corrupt regimes that have so far ruled the nation, and the few subjecting gifts to a few institutions, inorder to create semblance of good tidings that will last. But from the Koidu Holdings to the Bassama etc, none has shown up some commitments to the pre-conditions that were agreed upon before they started their minings, after much had been first siphoned during prospections to exploitations, without any form of benefit to the people who owned their lands.
The nation or not, Kono has become the remnant of destructive minings and the lack of the political will of all the leaders, both the national and district levels because, they see the land as the only place to exploit and not to be developed.
The Bassama Company is now undermining the land’s crust, from towns to towns. Today, since they started in simbakoro of the nimikoor chiefdom, they are now under the town of Koakoyima, which is the collection of the completion of provoking an earth quake for our people. It is not only the Kono man that is going to be affected with it, but sierra leoneans and any other nationals that could be present there on time.
Today, the HURRARC is ready to take up the icon decision to stand that, the companies and the government must respect their due responsibilities to the people and the state, if there is not the political will power to let them do.
Today, the Kono people are getting much disillusionment over the way the vice president and the A.P.C. Government are dealing with the matters of their livelihoods with much levity.

Hurrarc NGO Sierra Leone » koidu holdings

The issue of the Koidu Holdings and the Affected Property Owners Associations